#viper lads

Your discussion with him over colleges was amusingly biased but he made some good points. The University of Skyhaven had a strong internship program for students interested in obtaining government positions. But you did not like the strict dress code and how far it was away from home.

Linkon University on the other hand was only a two-hour drive away and the campus was beautiful. Additionally, their STEM programs are well regarded, and the institution offers something called a Team UNICORN program.

Despite its odd name, you were pulled down a rabbit hole. After digging through the university’s website, you found an official blurb.

Greetings future UNICORNs, Are you interested in attending an all-expense paid experience that will allow you to meet fellow incoming students, mentors and take part in engaging activities before classes start? Then look no further than the Team UNICORN program established and hosted by Linkon University! The goal of this program is to ease your transition from high school to becoming a full-time student at our esteemed university. And what better way to do this than to move onto campus two weeks early, get settled, then get whisked away to a cozy wooden lodge in the heart of the Arctic. There, you will have multiple opportunities to: -Connect with mentors and learn what attending the university is really like -Receive a personal tour of the university from your mentor’s perspective -Forge long lasting friendships through various team building activities, discussions, contests and much more! For further information about this program including how to apply, please e-mail [email protected]. We hope to see you very soon!

Once you reach the bottom of the advertisement, Linkon University and their program seemed too good to be true. But after looking through the University of Skyhaven’s website, you were left feeling underwhelmed. Although it was unintentional, your mind kept straying back to LU and in your heart, you knew your mind was already made up. You ended that night by clicking the submit button with your application. And in a few short weeks you were holding an acceptance letter in your hands and staring at the welcome e-mail from the Team UNICORN program.

You had two weeks to pack, and you did so anxiously but efficiently. You sifted through your clothes, shoes, and plushie collection carefully choosing what to take with you and what to leave behind.

It was the night before your drive to LU. You let out a huff as you placed your suitcase and duffle bags in the trunk of your two door Honda Civic. Stepping back inside your home, you are greeted by the sight of your parents snuggling on the couch in the living room. A bittersweet smile crosses your lips as the realization hits of how much you will miss seeing them.

“I’m all packed up,” you say as you approach the back of the couch they are resting on.

They both turn their heads towards you, but your dad is the first to speak.

“Ready for the harrowing journey tomorrow?” he asks in a put on solemn tone.

Your mom giggles before speaking, “Don’t tease her honey, you know she’s nervous about the drive and meeting new people.”

You roll your eyes before saying, “I’m as ready as I can be, I just want to get this over with.”

You sigh as you look down at your hands.

“But what if I don’t like it there?” you ask in a hushed tone.

From your periphery you can see your parents exchange a glance.

“Why don’t you watch this movie with us? We want to spend time with you before you go.”

“Sure,” you reply, before walking around to the front of the couch and settling in between your parents. You let the cheesy romantic comedy take your worries away as you soak in their love and affection like a sponge.

Once the credits roll you are still feeling restless. You excuse yourself to your room and pull up Love and Darkspace, the MMO. You have been a dedicated player since the game debuted. With a surprisingly well written storyline, mesmerizing graphics, frequent banner events and cosmetics worth grinding for — you were sucked in easily.

And through interacting with the Love and Darkspace community you’ve made online friends that you regularly go on raids with. You were even able to rope Caleb into a session every once and a while. As silly as it may sound, this game has helped get you through difficult trials and tribulations in the past and you needed that familiar comfort tonight.

You: Hey, are you up for LaDS tonight? Apple Boy: Affirmative pipsqueak, I’ll start up my PC right now.

You rolled your eyes at the childish nickname that your bestie never let go of. Then, you messaged your LaDS friends to see who was free. Within a few minutes, the habitual chaos of the game took ahold of you. After your team downed the final boss and split up the loot –  you said your goodbyes in the in-game chat before logging off around 11 pm. Feeling tired, you lovingly put your gaming laptop away in its protective case and went to bed.

In what seemed like a few moments, your alarm to get ready woke you up. You went through the motions of showering, getting dressed, checking your packed items, and placing your gaming laptop in your car. Lastly, you buckle your favorite sleeping plush in the front seat to keep you company on the drive.

After hugging and kissing both of your parents goodbye and texting Caleb, you were off. Not long into your drive your heart hammered against your ribcage as random thoughts flit through your mind.

Will I make any friends? What if I flunk out of the general education courses? Will I regret choosing Linkon University?

You take a few deep breaths and put on a Dungeons and Dragons podcast to distract you from the day ahead. The goofy hijinks of the players and dungeon master keep you company until you are exiting the freeway nearest to campus. Following the strategically placed signs, you found the appropriate lot and snag a parking space.

Although you looked up pictures and took a virtual tour, nothing could have prepared you for this breathtaking sight. The buildings were tall, gothic, stone works of art that made you feel like you were transported back in time. You are captivated by the worn in cobblestone walkways leading to each structure, lush greenery, multicolored flora and well manicured lawn. The campus grounds were not as large as a typical university, which was a positive in your book because it made everything less intimidating.

Pulling up the campus map on your phone, you confirm that you’re parked near the student services building where the Team UNICORN program is meeting for orientation. Looking over the layout of the campus, the main buildings are circularly arranged around the lawn — serving as the focal point.

The lawn looked like the perfect place to relax on a blanket with friends or sunbathe on warmer days. Starting from the student services building, going in a clockwise pattern, next to it is the dining hall, the dorms, the English and Art building, the Math and Science building, the Business Hall and finally the Administration and Financial Aid building at the apex of campus. The school gym and athletic fields are separated from the main campus due to the space needed for both.

Noticing the time, you walk to the student services building. When inside, you chat with a man who is wearing a t-shirt with the word advisor on it and a name tag that read ‘Greyson’. His boyish charm made you feel welcome, and you cannot help but admire how good he looks in his glasses. Once you sign next to your name on the check-in sheet, you make your way to a seat in the waiting room. Typically, in new social situations you keep to yourself until you feel comfortable. And today was no different, you pull out your phone and play a mobile game in the meantime.

You are locked in to a heated battle when you hear the soft swish of a door opening. From a quick glance you see someone with white (?) hair walk in. The faint murmur of conversation from the direction of the reception desk distracts you from your game. You try your hardest to tune them out, but this person’s deep, melodic voice was drawing you in. Whoever the new arrival is, they made Greyson chuckle before padding over to the seating area to join the rest of the group.

You are unable to take a longer glance at them because you’ve just reached the final round of your game and you want to finish strong. Once you claim your hard earned victory you resist the urge to start up another game because you see Greyson — accompanied by two other people wearing advisor t-shirts — head towards the front of the seating area. To the right of Greyson is a brunette woman, with a short haircut and warm aura. To his left is a man with black hair, glasses and a reserved expression on his face.

The brunette woman cleared her throat before introducing herself as Jenna, then her companions (Greyson and Zayne) before giving a brief intro to Linkon University and the Team UNICORN program. As she started going over the history of LU your mind — and eyes — began to wander. You used this time to observe who you will be spending time with over the next two weeks.

From your perusal, two women stood out because they seemed like they knew eachother before today. The shorter of the two women was a brunette with a chin length bob. You would describe her as ‘cute’, which was mostly attributed to the puppy like excitement clearly exhibited on her face. Next to her was a taller woman with black, silky hair that was tied back in a ponytail. Her face was not as expressive as the woman next to her, but her amusement with their hushed conversation was clear.

Moving on from them, you gloss over a few more people before your eyes land on a man who has white, shoulder length hair. You recognize him as the last arrival with the nice voice. He was attractive to put it mildly.

His hair — was it dyed or natural? —  had a downy quality to it that made your fingers itch to run your fingers through the strands. He was at least six feet tall, with what looked like a nice physique if the veins bulging out of his crossed forearms were evidence enough. You’ve never thought of a nose as ‘perfect’ before, but this is all that comes to mind when you trace the strong bridge of his with your eyes. The stranger’s relaxed posture exuded a quiet confidence that further added to his attractive qualities.

While you wax poetic about the beautiful stranger, his eyes lazily stray from the advisors to lock with yours. You freeze in place, feeling like your brain is buffering as you panic.

His eyes are RED — they must be contacts right? He could seriously be a model, wtf I wonder if his hair is as soft as it looks

Feeling mortified, your face warms at being caught. The white-haired stranger raises an eyebrow in your direction, before a small, amused smile graces his lips. You let out an inaudible gasp and tear your eyes away before you can embarrass yourself further. Refusing to look in his direction again, you tune back into Jenna’s spiel. It may just be your imagination, but you swear you feel the weight of someone’s gaze on you for the rest of orientation. But you are too much of a coward to confirm who it is.

Minutes tick by before the magic words are spoken.

“…and that concludes orientation for today. Now, I will read out the names on the check-in sheet. When your name is called, please come forward to collect your dorm room key. Once you have your dorm room key, you are free to leave and move in. We look forward to seeing you all here at 8 am tomorrow.”

You sit back and wait to hear your name. During the wait you learn that the two women you saw sitting together are Tara and Simone. The white hair stranger — whose name you learn is Sylus — is called soon after them. You fumble with your phone to avoid making eye contact with him again, nervously chewing on your bottom lip. A few others are called before your name is uttered.

You accept your key from Greyson and head back towards your car to grab your things. Luckily — or disappointingly — you don’t see Sylus again that day. Your time and attention are monopolized by unloading your car and arranging your possessions. It takes you two hours to feel satisfied with your progress. You change into your pajamas and slip into bed.

Feeling drained from the day you quickly fall asleep after setting an alarm for 7 am.

The familiar tone of your alarm snatches you from slumber as you press the dismiss button on your phone screen. Waking up in an unfamiliar bed and room is surreal, but once you squish your favorite sleeping plushie in your arms your mind is put to ease. You close your eyes once again and give yourself a few extra moments to fully wake up.

Eventually you crack open your eyes and take in the room you tried to make your own. Although it was the pricier choice, you are glad you requested a single room. This way, you have your own safe haven while you’re in school. You wouldn’t call yourself a neat freak, but everything has its place. It is very upsetting when things in your room are misplaced or messed with.

Sitting up in bed you raise your arms above your head and stretch. Then, you head into the bathroom to shower. Once dressed, you placed your emotional support sleeping plushie in the packed duffle bag you’re taking to the Arctic.

When you head down to the lobby of your residence hall you are greeted with the sight of Tara and Simone chatting on the couch. Tara enthusiastically waves you over when she spots you lingering by the stairs.

“Hey, we didn’t get the chance to talk yesterday but you’re a part of the Team UNICORN program, right?”

Her bubbly personality is infectious. You make your way over to the couch as you reply.

“I am. Where are you two from?”

Simone is the one to respond to your query.

“Tara and I are Linkon city locals, we attended the same high school. We thought this program sounded like a fun way to start college. What about you?”

“I live about two hours away. I wanted to go to college somewhere new.”

“Oh nice! Welcome to Linkon then.”

You, Tara and Simone head to the Student Services building together and settle down in the lobby to wait for everyone else. Soon, the quiet lobby fills with excited chatter for the trip ahead. Your heart rate increases when you notice Sylus’ arrival. You were hoping that you overhyped his looks in the mayhem that was yesterday, but he was as striking in the morning light as he was the previous day.

Not wanting to creep on him (again), you message Caleb some updates until Greyson starts a roll call. When everyone is accounted for, you all are led to the bus that will take you to the Arctic. Finding an empty pair of seats, you sit by the window and place your bag down next to you. Then, you put in your earbuds to let your music and the sights zooming by outside entertain you for the ride.

After three hours, you arrive.

The snowy surroundings look like an idyllic winter wonderland. Shortly after leaving the bus the room assignments are handed out. Luckily, you are sharing a room with Tara and Simone. You all head upstairs to the room and claim your beds before venturing back down to the lounge area.

When everyone is back from their rooms, Zayne starts things off.

“Greetings all and welcome to the Team UNICORN program. Today, we will begin with an ice breaker so we can start to become familiar with one another.”

“Jenna will pass around name tags that everyone will wear throughout the duration of our time here. Then, we will go around the room, and have you all state your name, a random fact about yourself and what major you are declaring.”

You internally groan as you write your name down on the name tag. The mere thought of icebreakers brings a sense of dread. You understand their purpose, but it is always a nerve wracking process waiting to be called. As you listen to the tidbits of information shared, you learn the following things about the people present:

Zayne is a junior, majoring in biology, he has a sweet tooth

Jenna is a senior, majoring in criminal justice, really into strategy games

Greyson is a sophomore, majoring in biology, loves telling bad jokes

Tara is undeclared for now, she reads tarot cards and devours trashy reality TV

Simone is majoring in criminal justice, she enjoys tinkering with electronics and improving them before putting them back together

When it is your turn, your palms begin to sweat as the heavy weight of the attention from twenty plus people is on you. You get out your name, your major (biology), and share your love for playing video games like the Love and Darkspace MMO and various RPGs.

Once that hurdle is crossed, you look forward to hearing Sylus speak again. And when it is his turn, his confident, smooth voice easily commands the attention of everyone in the room.

“Hello, my name is Sylus, and I plan to major in engineering. I like boxing and collecting vintage records.”

His introduction was succinct and left you wanting more. You are curious about his taste in music. And sinful images of him covered in a sheen of sweat, throwing jabs at a punching bag makes something flutter in your chest. You briefly wonder if you are going into heat, because you typically only thirst after fictional men this way. But the more you learn about Sylus, the more you yearned to get to know him better.

Before you can fantasize about him further, the cruel voice of your insecurities swoop in to squash your burgeoning crush.

Why would someone like him be interested in speaking to me? He definitely thinks I’m weird because he caught me ogling him yesterday. We have nothing in common, what would we even talk about? He would probably find me boring anyway, not worth the crushing rejection.

A sigh leaves you as your negative thoughts make points that you are unable to refute. You with the help of your parents have tried addressing your low self-esteem at multiple points in your life. But talk therapy, encouraging words, and workbooks have never addressed the core of the issue. You wholeheartedly accepted the negative opinions expressed in your subconscious as truth and it was tough to dispute something that seemed right. In typical fashion you accept the painful jabs at your self-worth and shift your thoughts to anything else.

Once the ice breaker event is complete, your days at the lodge zoom by. But everywhere you went, Sylus was nearby – whether it be in person or in your thoughts.

During trivia night you could not stop stealing glances his way. He was seated at a table near yours, which did nothing but turn up the temperature in the room. The competition between you and him was fierce, his knowledge on various niche topics both surprised you and sent a thrill down your spine. When you were declared the winner, he cracked a smile and nodded in what seemed to be mutual respect. Feeling overwhelmed from his acknowledgement, you looked down at your lap and smiled shyly to yourself. You did not notice him getting up to head to your table until he was right in front of you.

“May I take a seat?”

“O-of course,” you reply a little too quickly.

After he sat in the unoccupied chair at your table, an amused sparkle lit up his eyes.

“Congrats on winning. I should have known better than to underestimate you. It is always the quiet ones, isn’t it?”

You giggle before letting the temporary confidence boost take the wheel.

“You were a worthy opponent I suppose. But you will have to be better prepared next time, I go down rabbit holes regularly.”

The husky chuckle he let out sent a pleasant tingle straight to your tummy.

The next time you interacted with him was during the scavenger hunt. Tara and Simone were paired up, and the organizer denied your request to become a three-person group. You were walking away to sit this activity out when Sylus – looking like a fallen angel in the snow – ran to catch up to you.

“Care to be my partner?”

Your heart lurched as many (indecent and otherwise) images flashed through your mind. But just like during trivia night you let fake bravado carry you through the interaction.

“I would be honored. Maybe you can redeem yourself today.”

Sylus huffs amusedly before grabbing your hand and gently tugging you back towards the group. You attempt to bite back the smile threatening to spread across your face.

The rules for the scavenger hunt were simple: each team has a different set of clues but all of them lead to the collection of four items hidden around the lodge grounds. Once each item is found, the duo needs to be the first one back at the lodge’s entrance to win.

You had a feeling Sylus was competitive, but you didn’t realize it was to this extent. You did not have the time to be nervous around him because you both are entrenched in deciphering riddles and running around in the snow.

You assumed it would be a struggle to take the lead or share your thoughts because his aura exuded dominance. But you were pleasantly surprised when he looked to you for input on each riddle before sharing his own insights. This, combined with being the subject of his undivided attention all afternoon only fueled the crush you were harboring for him.

With both of you working in harmony you were able to complete the scavenger hunt without a hitch. You raced towards the lodge entrance to hand in your items. Once the coordinator of the event verified they were valid, your team was declared the winner of the scavenger hunt. Sylus’ pleased smile made your heart flutter, and you could not help but smile back.

Before you knew it, your week at the lodge was up and you were back on campus. The remaining week in the program was spent with tours of each building, 1 on 1 sessions with a mentor of your choice, and information sessions on clubs, sport teams, and resources for academic support.

It is the last day of the Team UNICORN program; there are only closing remarks and a few activities left before you are on your own. You’ve spent the majority of this week glued to Tara and Simone’s hip to the point that Jenna dubbed you all the three musketeers. You can already feel a strong bond forming between the three of you. And although your majors don’t align, you hope to stay in touch with them once school begins.

It is Friday night, marking the end of your first week of classes and you are feeling drained. From reading the class syllabi, to the assignments and lectures, you are feeling overloaded with information. To relax, you pull out your gaming laptop and play Love and Darkspace late into the night.

It is noon when you wake up the next morning, having missed the opportunity to grab breakfast with your friends you trudge to the dining hall on your own. Clinks of silverware and serving utensils combined with the chatter in the dining hall greet you as you enter. Luckily, your school serves breakfast all day, so you head over to the appropriate line and request your favorite breakfast foods.

With your plate in hand, you sit at an empty table that is bathed in sunlight then dig into your meal. The white noise of the people around helps you zone out as you think about what you want to do with your day. After a few seconds (minutes?) pass, a shadow overtakes your table, pulling you back to the present.

Looking up, you see Sylus — who looks like he had a late night as well. His hair was mussed like he just rolled out of bed and he is wearing a matching hoodie and joggers set. In his hand is his own plate of food.

“Would you like some company?” he asks in a raspy voice.

You nod your head in agreement and you two spend that time talking about a variety of topics, even after both of your plates were cleared. You complained about feeling like your brain was going to explode after the first week while he shared that he’s not too fond of one of his professors. You transition into ranting about your bad luck in Love and Darkspace last night and he laughs over how heated you get. When the conversation peters out, you two go your separate ways for the day.

Feeling invigorated from that interaction, you text Tara and Simone and spend more money than intended at the mall with them.

During the next few weeks, you and Sylus grab meals together in the dining hall on a regular basis. When you two became more comfortable he would not hesitate to join you, Tara and Simone for a meal. Or if there was room for one more when he was dining with Luke and Kieran — who are also engineering majors — you would join them.

Outside of the dining hall Sylus always greeted you in passing because both of your classes were in the same building. Or if you both were free for longer periods, you would sit on the center lawn and catch up. He was so easy to talk to that it was taking less effort to quiet down the cruel thoughts in your head. Each interaction with him filled your heart with warmth that you did not want to analyze anytime soon.

You hesitate to call Sylus your friend, but you wouldn’t call him a stranger either, he was something special. Nearing the end of your first year at Linkon University you had hoped to overcome your crush on him, but he wasn’t making it easy.

He always gives you his undivided attention as you yap about the latest topic on your mind. And the way he looks at you – especially when you two are alone – does nothing but fuel your delusions.

You try your best to be realistic, because you know the two of you may as well be on different planes of existence. He was flawless in your eyes. Not only is he handsome and smart, he is also funny as hell, athletic and charismatic.

And you are just…you.

You’ve seen and heard many people around campus gush about him.

You’ve listened to Luke and Kieran boast about his boxing prowess many times before they devolve into begging you to attend a match with them. But you’ve managed to get out of each invite because you’re not sure you would be able to handle seeing him in action.

You’ve witnessed firsthand how his natural charisma and dry humor charms people with no effort on his part.

In reality, Sylus could be spending his time with anyone. But he makes a noticeable effort to seek you out and stay in touch. Luke and Kieran have teased you every now and again over how Sylus seems to hang on your every word. And Tara has even mentioned that he seems romantically interested in you. But you brush all of them off because it is easier.

As you hand in your last final exam you feel relieved that your first year of college is officially done for two reasons. The first being the unlimited free time you’ll have over the next few months. You’re excited to spend quality time with your parents and Caleb during the break. And the second reason is that you’ll get some space from Sylus to allow your impossible crush to wither.

Arriving back on campus for your second year of college felt surreal. The anxiety wracking your body feels so similar to last year that it is giving you déjà vu. There was also a sense of anticipation thrumming through your veins when you think of seeing Sylus again. You wonder what classes he is taking this year, how he spent his break, and if he missed your conversations as much as you did.

You didn’t have to wonder for long because you spot him in the dining hall the very next morning. After grabbing your meal and drink, you hustle over to where he is seated. You place your tray down on the table and drop into the chair opposite of his.

“Hey,” you say as nonchalantly as you can muster.

“Hey yourself.”

No matter how many times you’ve done this, the butterflies in your stomach run wild when he speaks. Clearing your throat, you dig into your meal before you can make a fool of yourself.

“Go on, say what’s on your mind.”

When you look up at him, his entire focus is on you. He is leaning his head into the palm of his right hand as he aimlessly moved his food around the plate.

“What do you mean?” you ask warily.

“I can tell from your expression that you want to ask me something.”

When you scoff, he continues “What? You have always been easy to read, at least to me.”

Not wanting to dwell too long on that statement — you speak.

“I was just wondering what you got up to during the break. And what classes you’re taking this semester.”

He hums.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You can feel your imaginary hackles raise at his teasing tone.

“Are you going to answer my questions or are you just tease me?”

The grin your uncharacteristically snippy reply drew out of him was devious.

He tells you what shenanigans he got up to over the last few months while pulling up his course schedule. When he’s done, you share what your break was like as you two compare classes.

“We won’t share a class this semester either,” the sulking evident in your voice.

“You’re pouting, are our mealtime dates not enough for you?”

His question draws an immediate reaction from you. Normally, you would assume he’s teasing — but his tone and the look on his face made it seem like a sincere question. You’re desperately hoping how flustered you feel internally isn’t reflecting on your face.

The silence stretches on; your tongue feels like it is made of lead.

Sylus — showing some mercy — responds to your earlier remark.

“It doesn’t seem like it, no. But we always manage to find each other around campus. You won’t miss me too much, I promise.”

Before you can grace him with a reply, he smirks at you, then stands up and says, “I’ll see you around.”

As you get into the swing of classes, the idea of picking up a work study job sounded increasingly tempting. Love and Darkspace isn’t a cheap hobby, and you have no self control when new cosmetics come out for your character. After looking at the available openings online, you interviewed for a lab assistant position in the biology lab. It took a few days for you to hear back, but luckily you were hired.

The same week you were hired, you recall hearing about a gaming club around campus. You are quick to join because there is no way you will miss out on mingling with your fellow nerds. In the blink of an eye, your free time is taken up by studying, work and/or club activities. You see Sylus less and less around campus. The scarce times you do, you find out that he’s been going to away games with the boxing team and has started working on a personal project. As the semester meanders along your once frequent meet ups have dwindled down to once every two weeks if the star aligned. Your heart ached over his absence, but your busy schedule did not allow you to dwell on it for long.

It was during game club where you met a transfer student from the University of Skyhaven. He has long, green hair and speaks with a lisp. You watch him go around and personally introduce himself to each club member — including yourself, and you learn his name is Viper. As far as first impressions went he seemed nice. And for some reason, he liked lingering near you.

During the next few club meetings he makes sure to sit next to you and strike up a conversation. At first, you thought he wanted to be your friend. But you learned overtime that Viper is a massive flirt, making his interest clear. His attention made you feel nervous yet excited.

Viper was undeniably handsome. His silky, green hair looked oddly natural on him, and his lisp was charming, especially when he got passionate over a particular topic. You enjoyed your chats with him and wouldn’t mind hanging out more. Although you were still harboring a massive crush on Sylus, there was a part of you becoming interested in the transfer student as well.

You were flattered when he asked to study with you in the library one day after gaming club had ended. Feeling pleased, you accepted. It became almost routine for you and Viper to meet up after club meetings and work on your assignments together. You learned that he was a business major which made you curious.

“Hey Viper, why did you transfer from the University of Skyhaven?”

The shifty expression on his face made you feel like you stepped into dangerous territory, which sparked a flare of anxiety in your chest.

“It’s…complicated. I didn’t like how strict it was there, so I decided to transfer to LU.”

His answer sounded cryptic, like he was leaving something important out. But since you did not know him well enough to dig, you decided to leave it be. Convinced he’ll share the full story with you once he felt comfortable.

But…the more time spent with Viper the more you noticed that there was an imbalance. He had endless questions for you, but once you answered he didn’t offer anything back. It made your conversations feel one-sided with him finding a way to weasel out of talking about himself every time. You chalked it up as him being a private person.

And he seemed oddly interested in hearing about your insecurities. Learning someone’s lore is important but the way he seemed to catalogue each and every one of them gave you the creeps. Luckily your conversations didn’t stray that way too often.

While you grew closer with Viper you still saw Sylus around campus, but he was always in a hurry. When you questioned Luke and Kieran about what his secret project was, they were as tight lipped about it as Sylus, much to your frustration.

The green haired man may have been stingy with sharing about himself, but he was generous with almost everything else. He surprises you with your favorite snack during your study sessions, offers to take you off campus for day trips, and listens thoroughly to you vent about the pressures of your workload. The undivided attention he paid you reminded you of Sylus sometimes, but Viper’s attention was intense in a way you struggle to describe. It unnerved you initially, but his affection was addicting with a hidden benefit of keeping your mind off of your crush.

You barely have time to hang out with Tara, Simone, Luke, Kieran nor Sylus now because Viper is monopolizing your free time. You have rejected some of his offers to hang out but he took it hard. He would act uncharacteristically cold towards you after, like he was punishing you for desiring to spend time with yourself or others. Again, you normalized his behavior by calling him clingy.

It was easy to ignore all Viper’s faults when he was so accommodating to your needs, and his honeyed words kept you hooked. Near the end of the semester, you were truly feeling the pressure of finals weighing down on your shoulders. Viper noticed and treated you to a day trip at the spa.

After a day filled with a tingly facial, manicure, pedicure, full body massage and endless glasses of champagne — your previously tense body felt like jelly. It was then that Viper asked you to be his girlfriend. Your mind was muddled from the alcohol you consumed as you thought over your answer.

Despite how much time you’ve spent with Viper, you haven’t stopped thinking about Sylus. The lack of time you’ve spent together only made him feel even more out of reach than usual. From the time you met, you’ve considered him to be out of your league. He was perfect and despite how friendly you got in freshman year, he intimidated you. You enjoyed being his friend(?), but you would always crave being something more.

Viper was also attractive, but in a more down-to-earth way. You shared similar hobbies, and he was someone you did not hesitate to pour your heart out to on the good and bad days. He seemed more on your level — like a safe choice.

After mulling over your feelings, you answer him with a simple “Yes.” The bright smile he emitted instilled you with a sense of guilt, but you were also tentatively excited to embrace this new beginning. On the drive back to campus you pretend to sleep while you ruminate over the distinct sense of loss that has settled in the pit of your stomach.

Viper didn’t treat you much differently once you became official. He was just as attentive as he has always been. You did not have much time together before winter break came. You texted often and talked on the phone a few times while you were apart. The weeks off passed by in a flash.

As the second semester of the year started, you and Viper were inseparable. From an outside perspective your relationship is going well. You even feel relatively happy at times. But you could not shake the feeling that something was off.

From the minute you wake up, there is already a text from him waiting for you. When you step into the shower he wanted to talk to you on the phone. As you stepped out of your dorm, he was sitting on the front steps. He would walk you to your classes in the morning, go with you to the dining hall during lunch, and follow you around like a shadow when it was dinner time.

If you wanted to study in the library, he was there. When you decided to go shopping or out on the weekends, he insists on going with you. He seemed needier than ever before, and it was suffocating.

Since most of your waking moments are spent with him you have started to neglect texting back your friends. The conversations and daily memes once sent within your group chat became a rare occurrence. Your heart clenched painfully as you can feel the distance between you and them growing by the day. And Sylus was an entirely different matter; it felt like lifetimes since you’ve sat down and talked. You were not ready to confront how much you missed him.

The few times you share how much you miss your friends with Viper, he gets defensive then shoots accusatory questions and statements your way.

“Don’t you want to spend time with your boyfriend?” “I should be enough for you.” “Do you think I’d let another man occupy your time?” “You think you’re too good to spend time with me now? After all I’ve done for you?”

When he said these things, a bitter, angry look flashes across his face before his usual chill expression takes over. Like he was unsuccessfully trying to prevent a mask slip.

In the beginning this would spark long, drawn out arguments that would result in him retaliating in some way. Most of the time it was via stonewalling but other times he’d ‘forget’ to pick you up from an appointment he drove you to, leaving you annoyed and stranded until he picked up the phone. Over time, he wore you down and drained you of your energy to fight back. He made you feel small, like your wants and needs outside of him did not matter.

Before meeting him, you avoided confrontation whenever possible. And after innumerable fights, it seemed logical to stop bringing up anything that would upset him. Just to keep the peace, however tentative that ‘peace’ was.

You’ve only caught glimpses of Tara and Simone around your dorm since the beginning of the semester. And you can count on one hand the number of full conversations shared between the three of you in the same amount of time. Sylus sightings around campus had grown so sparse that you neurotically wondered if he was avoiding you.

These two instances made you wonder if the people you once felt the closest to were moving on without you.

Over the course of the semester, you retreated further into yourself and did not protest when Viper slithered his way into every aspect of your life. You became used to constantly having him around and if you had the energy to reflect – you would have noticed that the relationship has warped into a co-dependent mess.

It was when Viper felt comfortable that the venomous comments began.

“Don’t slouch, it makes you look sloppy.” “Are you really going to wear that today?” “How about you eat something healthier instead?” “Are you going to yap about Love and Darkspace again?” “What is the point in majoring in biology anyway? You won’t be able to find a job with such a useless degree.”

Each remark from him felt akin to someone slowly chipping away at your confidence, piece by piece.

When you first met Viper, you were flattered and excited that someone as handsome as him was willing to give you all his attention. But now you felt like a shell of your former self when he was around, which was all the time now.

You are cognizant of how toxic your relationship is, but it is now your new normal. After not speaking with your friends all year it did not feel right to suddenly reach out to them for help. You were too embarrassed to unveil how scary things have gotten with Caleb. And Sylus was always someone you regarded as out of reach. You did not want to sully whatever image he had of you with this disaster.

An overwhelming feeling of loneliness invades your body as you drop down into an armchair in the lobby of your dorm room. The crushing reality that you were alone and had no one to confide in stung deep. Warm droplets rolled down your cheeks despite how hard you tried to contain them.

Soft footsteps approached from behind as the words ‘you are alone and you have no one’ played on repeat in your head. Having no time to compose yourself, a figure — blurred by your tears — stood before you. When they called your name, you were both happy and self-conscious to recognize them as Tara.

“What’s wrong?” She sounds hesitant, unlike her usual bubbly self. Like she has just come across a stranger and was judging whether she should intervene or not.

Your blurry vision cleared after a few blinks and rough wipes from your shirt sleeve.

“Hey Tara, I’m just going through something right now,” you reply with a gravely voice.

“I can tell. Do you want to talk about it?” she asks while sinking down into an unoccupied chair.

“I- I don’t want to burden you with my problems. How have you been?”

Tara playfully rolled her eyes. “Nice try but you cannot distract me that easily. You could never be a burden to me.”

A wet laugh is your response to her comeback. From the first time you met, she always had a way with making you feel accepted.

“I’m…having relationship problems. I’m not sure if you know, but I’m dating someone and he treats me horribly,” your sentence ends in a hushed whisper. With both embarrassment and shame enveloping your heart.

A shocked then furious look clouds her face.

“You don’t deserve to be treated like anything but a queen. Why are you still with him?”

A pained smile blooms on your lips, as your eyes stray off into the distance. You fiddle with your fingers to soothe yourself.

“I just feel trapped. Like if I break up with him, I’ll be completely alone.”

Tara’s next words draw your attention back to her face. She looks crushed.

“You have to know that isn’t true right? The only reason you, Simone and I haven’t chatted recently is because we noticed how rarely you were responding to our texts. We thought you weren’t interested in talking, so we gave you space.”

You can feel a lump forming in your throat.

“I’m so sorry for ghosting you both, this year has been hell. But I promise I’ll do better. You don’t know how dearly I missed talking in our group chat and catching up with Sylus and the twins.”

Tara pulled you into a warm hug before letting you go. Then, a secretive smile spread on her face at the mention of Sylus’ name.

“Trust me, your longing isn’t one sided. Luke and Kieran told me Sylus is pretty broken up over the fact that you have a boyfriend. From what they said he seemed jealous.” Her last sentence ended in a sing-song tone.

You tried to tamp down the blooming hope in your heart. Was your crush not as one-sided as you have assumed this entire time?

“I don’t know about jealous, but I’m not happy about him being upset.”

She hummed in disbelief but let you off the hook for now.

“I’m sure Sylus will be elated once he hears you’re single again. Let me call Simone, then we’re going to help you get rid of this boyfriend of yours.”

It took longer than expected, but you have officially broken up with Viper.

He outright refused to take you seriously the first few times you brought up ending the relationship. When he realized you were serious, he resorted to his usual tactics — trying to break you down anyway he could. With Tara and Simone’s moral support, you held strong and ended things for good. The last time you saw him, you told him to never contact you again before blocking his phone number and social media accounts.

Since the breakup it was like Viper disappeared off the face of the Earth. He stopped attending gaming club meetings, and you two have not crossed paths since. And for that, you were thankful.

The old wounds he opened and the new ones he created were slow to heal. But from spending time with your friends and most importantly yourself again, you were getting there. You didn’t reach out to Sylus after — much to Tara’s dismay — because you’re not even sure what to say. You felt embarrassed over trying to replace him in your heart with someone so inferior.

No other person could take Sylus’ place. He was special to you and the knowledge that dating the green haired menace affected him hurt more than you can describe. So, you kept your distance from him. Then the end of second year came, and you were home for summer vacation once again.

The first couple of days back, you slept and barely left your room. Then when you felt rested up, you called Caleb over and confided in him about all that Viper put you through. You’ve never seen your best friend so incensed and heartbroken at the same time. After that day, you spent time indulging in your favorite snacks and watching comfort films together. Many late nights involved obtaining sweet loot in Love and Darkspace together, making you feel nostalgic over your summer breaks during high school.

Caleb — with the help of Tara and Simone via text and phone calls — made it their mission to build up your confidence every chance they got. By the end of summer break, you feel more like your old self before he-who-must-not-be-named destroyed your confidence.

As the start of your third year of college loomed closer, you vowed to abstain from dating.

Mostly because you weren’t sure you could withstand another toxic relationship. And even if you would not acknowledge this aloud, there was only room for one man in your heart.

Your first week back was going as good as it could be, until you walked into your Psychology 101 class. Class sizes at Linkon University were on the smaller end, and as a result you easily spotted someone with a shock of white hair sitting in the very back row of seats. He was taking out what looked to be a notebook or planner from his messenger bag.

You pause just in the doorway as the tempting thought of turning around and dropping this course came to mind. But you recall that this was one of the only classes that fulfills the humanities requirement for your degree and wasn’t completely full. Taking a few calming breaths, you claim an empty seat near the middle of the classroom.

Reassuring yourself that this is your last class of the day, you try to focus on the professor’s monologue about the syllabus and class policies. But the unmistakable feeling of eyes on the back of your head haunts you the entire class duration. You desperately hope that this was just your imagination but your delusion shatters upon hearing him call out your name as you rush to the door.

“Long time no see stranger,” he says while matching your pace. You subconsciously head towards the open lawn in the middle of campus.

Your stomach lurches from hearing his voice again after so long.

“Sylus, it’s good to see you.”

He raises an eyebrow in feigned disbelief.

“Is it now? Because I was under the impression you were avoiding me last year.”

You feel like a hummingbird in this moment with the frantic thumping in your chest.

“I wouldn’t go that far. Last year was rough for me.” you cut yourself off before you can trauma dump on him. The two of you walk in silence, locked in a stalemate. Him waiting for a follow up and you purposefully holding back.

When he doesn’t say anything by the time you reach the lawn you finally glance his way.

Concern is etched on his face as he studies you.

“What?” you ask before pulling out a blanket from your backpack and spreading it flat on the grass.

He waits for you to take a seat on the blanket before joining you. The weather outside was perfect for relaxing, it was warm with partial cloud coverage and a nice breeze.

“Tell me what happened? I want you to confide in me, please.”

Unable to ignore his plea, especially when he asks so earnestly you fold immediately. Starting from the beginning when you met Viper in the gaming club, to how you two grew close, to how clingy and controlling he became. You stumble over your words when you describe the things he said to and about you.

You cannot halt the tears welling up in your eyes as you recount the blows he dealt to your already tenuous self-confidence. Even though you put the relationship behind you, the pain from it is still fresh.

You feel…ashamed.

Logically you know you shouldn’t — because you were taken advantage of — but the feeling still lingers. The meanest voice in your head always questions how you could be so oblivious to his manipulation tactics and red flags, why you stayed once he showed his true colors, and what you could have done differently to avoid attracting someone like that.

Sylus looks pained as he brushes the back of his hand against your cheek to wipe your tears.

“If I had known you were being mistreated by him, I would have intervened. But instead, I let my feelings guide my actions and I gave you the space I thought was needed.”

You immediately latch onto one word  from his response.

“What feelings were guiding you?”

Sylus sends a melancholic smile your way, “I will save that confession for another day. Just know that nothing could fill the void your absence created in my life.”

His words had you in a chokehold as you fumbled over what to say in response.

Not letting you flounder for long, he continued. “I want to be in your life again — if you’ll have me.”

Your mind raced a mile a minute because it sounded like you were being asked to spend your life with him. But you know this is not the case. It does not take you long to answer him this time because you don’t want to stay away from Sylus any longer than you already have.

“There’s no need to ask; I have to stick around to hear that confession of yours after all.”

Hearing his chuckle so close to your ear warms you from the inside out.

As you transition onto lighter topics, you both end up laying down on the blanket with your heads facing one another. Time slips through your fingers as you share stories from the summer break, go over what went on last year and discuss tentative plans for the upcoming one. You catch yourself gazing too long at his lovely facial features, but you hope you were subtle enough to avoid him noticing this time.

(you were not)

You’re practically floating back to your dorm when you part ways that day, feeling like the persistent ache in your heart has started to mend.

As the weeks pass by it feels like the months spent apart was just a bad dream. You and Sylus naturally fell back into the other’s orbit. You are eating meals together in the dining hall and stopping to chat on campus once again. And now that you share a class, you sit next to each other and trade notes when needed.

Midway through the semester, a group project is announced much to the displeasure of everyone present. You and Sylus partner up for it and spend your evenings in the library working on it. With your combined diligence at work, the project is complete weeks ahead of the due date.

But the study sessions don’t stop there, instead they become routine.

No matter which class it is for, you both prefer to work on assignments in each other’s company. And when you aren’t together, you’ve exchanged numbers and text about any topic that comes to mind. Sylus sends you thirst traps photos of him after boxing sessions and you send him voice memos ranting over the latest tough boss in Love and Darkspace.

Your time together transfers from the library to grabbing boba, visiting records shops, and late-night joyrides on his motorcycle. Sylus insists on paying for you when you’re out together. Recently, he has started to send you funds for your cosmetic buying needs in your favorite MMO.

You’ve fallen asleep on video calls with him and have had what you’ve dubbed ‘sleepovers’ in each other’s room. The first time you slept over at Sylus’ place, you learned that he was living in an off campus apartment. At first you were jealous over the freedom he has. But your attention is drug in several directions when you spot his collections. Meticulously arranged records lined his walls on shelves, display cases for expensive looking gems are housed on two tables in the corner, and there is an entire room dedicated to his personal project. You are only able to catch a glimpse of wings (?) before Sylus teased you for trying to snoop and ushered you away. His bedroom is dark thanks to his black out curtains with silk black sheets that felt expensive adorning his bed. The highlight of your visit is falling asleep with Sylus, wrapped in sheets that smelled delightfully like him.

And when it is your turn to host, you thank your foresight for requesting a single room. The image of Sylus surrounded by your stuffed animals and cozied up under your fluffy comforter is something you will cherish for a lifetime.

Currently, you are sitting in the stands at one of his boxing matches. It is a home game, so you did not have to travel to another college. If you had to describe how Sylus looks right now, it’d be delicious. You can tell he has been putting in the work at the gym because he looks so…big. His pecs and abdominal muscles are prominent through his skintight, red tank top. His arms are so toned that you swear you can see the veins bulging out of them from your seat. You inconspicuously wipe at your mouth to make sure you aren’t drooling, feeling grateful that Sylus can’t see you swooning over him from the ring.

As for the rest of his outfit, he is wearing white athletic shorts with black boxing gloves slung around his neck. Presently, he is leaning on the ropes of the ring, talking with his coach. When their chat is over, he scans the crowd before spotting you in the front row. After sending a wink your way he inserts his mouth guard, dons his protective headgear, and slips on his boxing gloves.

You have attended plenty of his boxing matches by now, but this one had higher stakes because the outcome determines if Sylus will be moving on to the finals. You can’t help but feel nervous for him because there is always a risk of injury. His boxing skill spoke for itself, but anything could happen. You have helped him clean up the aftermath of a bloody nose and iced some of his bruises in the past. Luckily, he has avoided serious injuries like a concussion or broken bones.

You sit between your shared group of friends. The twins on one side and Tara and Simone on the other. The bouquet of flowers you bought for his inevitable victory rests beneath your seat, out of sight. You let your friend’s laughter and chatter distract you from being a worry wart about what could happen in the ring.

Once the referee rings the bell, the fight is on. It is instantly clear that Sylus is the proficient boxer between the two. Instead of exhausting himself by throwing punch after punch, he bides his time and dodges the attempted hits until his opponent is tired out.

Within a few rounds Sylus seizes the golden opportunity to unleash several well placed jabs. It is a right hook that leads to his opponent meeting the floor of the boxing ring. You hold your breath waiting to see if he will get up and continue the fight. But the allotted amount of time passes, and Sylus is hailed the winner.

You, along with your friends, rise to your feet and cheer as the referee raises Sylus’ right hand as the crowd erupts. You sit back down and chat with Simone as you wait for him to wrap things up.

Mid conversation Tara calls your name and points frantically towards the boxing ring.

Upon turning, you see Sylus waving you over with a tired smile on his face. Confused and a little nervous, you grab the bouquet from under your seat and make your way over to the ring.

“Congratulations. What can I do for you, Mr. Boxing Champion?”

The soft smile he aims your way after accepting the flowers turns your insides into mush.

“Come here and take a picture with me. I want to commemorate this moment.”

“Thee boxing champ of Linkon University wants to take a photo with little old me?” you ask in feigned disbelief.

He rolls his eyes at your teasing tone.

“Yes, thee boxing champion wants to take a photo with you.”

Sylus grabs your hand and pulls you up onto the ring platform before you can continue to stall. Turning you around, his front meets your back through the ropes as you lean against it for support. The heat emanating from him is sweltering.

He goes on to hand you the bouquet, drape his right arm over your shoulder, then pull out his phone with his left hand. Once you both are in frame you raise the bouquet and smile shyly at the camera. At the last moment Sylus, places a light kiss into your hair and takes the photo. You gasp when his lips meet your head and your face warms as you squeak out a goodbye before scurrying back to your seat. You miss his amused smile as he watches you hurry away.

The endless teasing from your friends is worth it because you are on cloud nine. That moment plays on repeat in your mind that night (along with many other nights after that).

The next morning, you wake up to multiple text messages in the group chat you’re in with Tara and Simone. Upon opening it, a few pictures of that moment from their POV were sent. You can’t help but giggle and kick your feet at them overdramatizing it.

After leaving reactions on each pic (and saving them) you notice that Sylus also messaged you last night. Opening the text thread, the selfie he took of the both of you is waiting for you like a gift. You can’t help but stare at it for a long moment before saving it as well.

Once saved, you notice that it is a motion photo — which captures a video of the few seconds before and after a picture is captured. With your curiosity piqued, you hold down on the photo to see the video.

A knot forms in your stomach as the short video loops. The soft expression on Sylus’s face — right before he kissed you on your head— sent an arrow through your heart. It was intimate in a way that made your heart ache.

Before the first semester of your third year ends, Sylus asks if you would like to spend your winter break with him. When you agree, he says to leave the rest to him. Up until the day of the trip, all he will reveal is that you’re going on a road trip to ‘somewhere special’. But he refuses to divulge any other details. The mystery of it all drives you insane, but you begrudgingly go along with it because you love surprises.

During the road trip, you take turns driving, singing along to songs on the radio and taking increasingly silly selfies at iconic landmarks.

It is on day 4 of the road trip that Sylus insists on driving the rest of the way. With nothing else to do, you are lulled to sleep by the motion of the car. In what seems like only a few moments, Sylus is waking you up by saying “We’re here.”

You rub your eyes before opening them to see that you have parked near a small, private beach. The only building on said beach is a boat rental hut with multiple paddle boats available.

“Is this your surprise?”

He just smirks before grabbing your hand and leading you towards the hut. After choosing a boat, listening to the safety disclaimer, and viewing the available routes — the two of you are paddling in the water. The water is breathtakingly clear as you watch fish and other sea creatures go about their day below the surface.

After paddling for a while, you stop to rest your legs and let the sound of the waves lull you into a zen state. You close your eyes and let the wind caress your face. Sylus interrupts your daydreaming by clearing his throat.

“I think it is time I finally share.”

“Share what?”

“My confession.”

He pauses briefly, seeming to steel himself before continuing.

“If you would have asked — before we met — if I believed in destiny, I would have said no. But the moment I caught you staring at me during orientation I was intrigued. When your competitive side came out during Trivia Night and the Scavenger Hunt I was smitten.”

He pauses briefly to grab your hand.

“As we started our first year, I could not stop myself from seeking you out and bringing you up in every conversation with Luke and Kieran. You were constantly on my mind and getting to spend any amount of time with you was the highlight of my day. I knew you were someone special back then, but I was too cowardly to take the next step forward.”

He ran his unoccupied hand through his hair and looked out into the ocean as he continued to lay his soul bare.

“When you started dating someone in second year I was…jealous and devastated to put it lightly. It felt like a sword had pierced clean through my chest, but I wanted you to be happy even if it was with someone that is not me.”

The seagulls cawing overhead and waves lapping against the side of your boat serve as background noise to this moment.

“What stung the most was that I saw you less and less. It was like the bond we were forging up until that point had crumbled into dust. I threw myself into working on my personal project and boxing to take my mind off of it – off of you. But nothing worked for long because so many things reminded me of what we could have had.”

“It felt like divine intervention when I saw you in psych 101 and I could not let you slip away without trying to reconnect. The time we’ve spent together since then has reaffirmed what I knew all along.”

He turned back to face you and held your gaze.

“No one else can hold a candle to you. My soul is intertwined with yours and my heart is in your hands. I know how deeply your ex hurt you and turned you off of dating, but if given the chance, I would be honored to show you how precious you are every single day.”

You are stricken silent by his confession; you cannot believe that Sylus — the man of your dreams — shared your affection this entire time.

“Cat got your tongue?”

You are pulled from your thoughts when you hear Sylus’ nervous tone.

“No, I was just freaking out a bit. I have fantasized about this happening since the moment we met, so this feels surreal. But, my answer is yes, I would love to date you.”

The smile that spreads across his lips is brilliant. Before you can admire it fully Sylus leans towards you, cups your cheek, then gives you a kiss that leaves you dazed. You barely hold in a whimper when your lips separate.

On the drive back to campus, Luke and Kieran blow up Sylus’ phone until he gives in and answers.

“Was the back-to-back calling necessary?” he snaps as he accepts the call.

Sylus pauses as the unmistakable sound of Luke and Kieran speaking at once is heard.

In a hushed tone he interrupts them, “I know, I know. She said yes.”

After he hangs up, you let the music play a bit before speaking.

“As my official boyfriend, I think it’s time we play Love and Darkspace together.”

He lightly chuckles before stating, “If it’s with you, we are guaranteed to have a fun time. Just tell me when.”

EPILOGUE

“Sylus, can you help me zip up my dress? I can’t get it to the top.”

The sound of his footsteps reach your ears as you gaze at yourself in the mirror. When Sylus walks up behind you, he kisses your bare shoulder before doing as you asked.

“You look lovely in this dress.”

“Thanks, my personal stylist picked it out for me,” you say, sending a wink his way.

He hums lowly before turning you around to face him, then stealing a kiss. Your tongue glides sensually against his as you slip your hands into his impossibly soft hair. When you lightly tug on some strands, he sucks your bottom lip into his mouth before nipping it and pulling away.

You pout from being deprived of his addicting proximity.

No words are uttered as you watch him look you over. You can only imagine how you look now with kiss swollen lips and the petulant expression on your face.

“Are you ready sweetie? We’ll have to start heading over soon.”

You nod your head and say bye to Mephisto before leaving the apartment you share with him.

From there, everything is a blur up until you walk across the stage to accept your diploma. You can hear your parents, Sylus and your friends make a ruckus. When it is Sylus’ turn, you cheer obnoxiously and take several photos. When the last student crosses the stage, you are instructed to move the tassel on your cap from the right side to the left. Symbolizing that your time at Linkon University has come to an end.

And when graduation is over, you take countless selfies and group pictures with your friends. Then, Sylus and the both of your parents go out to eat in celebration. By the end of the day, exhaustion overtakes you as you fall onto the silk sheets of the bed back at your apartment. You can hardly believe that you are the owner of a bachelor's degree. And beyond that, both you and Sylus were accepted into the same graduate school.

If you had pondered during first year where you would end up come graduation, your current predicament wouldn’t have crossed your mind. You’re forever thankful that despite the low points you went through, you ended up with the love of your life.

"You... Ha... Rude-... Ah... You're... too rude..."

Viper's face before her half-closed eyes was slightly dazed: his pupils dilated, a blush unevenly covering parts of his face and one ear, clearly separating the patches of natural skin from the artificial inserts. It's unsightly, even disgusting, she thought, and the thought immediately vanished from her mind along with a drawn-out groan as his thick cock jerked sharply inside her.

"Don't you... Hsssss... Dare... Ah... Complain..."

His forked, snake-like tongue always looked too natural, especially when it pushed through her lips, entwining with her own in a crushing kiss. It was messy, and it got even messier when her fang caught on his piercing and broke the skin, but neither of them cared. Saliva mingled with the taste of copper as Viper responded by tearing the skin on her lip, causing her to moan sweetly, pressing closer and digging her sharp nails into the back of his neck, her fist tightly clutching his green hair.

The entire time, they maintained eye contact: a mixture of lust, mistrust, and defiance. A game of sorts, the winner earning the right to dominate. And this time, Viper seemed determined to keep his cool.

He was often in a foul mood, especially with her—after all, it was the desire to vent anger and irritation that most often prompted their personal encounters—but today, something was off, though she couldn't yet pinpoint what.

It all started as usual: he'd barged into one of her apartments, knowing full well she'd be there.

Viper was a brazen and insolent quasi-friend/enemy, exchanging information, goals, and messages with her too often to be considered anything more than reluctant colleagues. They'd met two years ago in one of Skyhaven's seedy bars. It was almost peaceful: she, a Fleet's watchdog with questionable morals and a leash around her neck; he, a lab rat, pretending to be either a snake or a pubescent punk. A match made in heaven, no less.

Or in hell. Which is more likely.

That time she left the bar with a bruised lung and two bullet wounds, he - with an additional knife hole in his shoulder, a fractured skull, and crushed balls. A delightful acquaintance.

Mission encounters brought them together so often that they were a near-constant presence in each other's lives, and physical intimacy became simply part of it. Controlled display of aggression and adrenaline, a way to let off steam and simply satisfy their bodies' needs - no-strings-attached sex, a small rebellion against the permanent nooses around their necks. It wasn't dictated by orders from above, and therefore seemed the only thing done without coercion.

None of them were fooled into thinking their superiors weren't aware of their little intrigues. As long as interests of those in power didn't clash, her and Viper's relationship — whatever it was — posed no threat or harm. A trifle, not worth noting.